Device for removing from a pile of sheets the sheet lowermost at the time



A. WINKLER El' AL DEVICE FOR REMOVING FROM A PILE OF SHEETS THE SHEETLWERMOST AT THE TIME Aug. 13, 1935.

2 Sheebs-Sheefl 1 Filed March 20, 1934 Aug. 13, 1935# A: wlNKLER E1' Ag.

DEVICE FOR REMOVING FROM A PILE. QF SHEETS THE SHEET LOWERMOST AT THETIME -2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed March 20, 1954 Patented Aug. 13, 1935 IDEVICE FOR REMOVING FROM A PILE OF SHEETS THE SHEET LOWEBMOST AT THEAlfred Winkler and Max Dnnebier, Neuwied,

Germany Application March 20, 1934, Serial No. 716,519 In Germany March23, 1933 8 Claims.

The invention relates to a device for removing from a pile of sheets thesheet lowermost at the time. In the case of certain kinds of suchsheetremoving devices it has in itself long been known to introducecompressed air, between the lowermost sheet to be removed and the restof the pile, in order to do away with the pressure of the pile whichacts on the lowermost sheet and causes a great deal of friction duringits withdrawal. For example, the United States Patent specifications1,834,565 and 1,945,248 relate to such sheet removing devices. Theformer is concerned with a so-called fold feeding apparatus in which thelowermost sheet of the pile is removed from the pile by means of a pairof rollers rotating in opposite directions and is simultaneously foldedonce. In this case the compressed air is blown from both sides of thepile into the space which is closed on all sides by the feed-rollers andthe pile. The second of -the devices mentioned above on the contraryremoves the lowermost sheet of the pile, without simultaneously foldingit, with the aid of a rotating roller which carries on its periphery agripping device, which acts suctionally or otherwise and with which itfirst starts the separation of the sheet at its front edge, after whichit then conveys the end of the sheet between itself and acounter-roller. Both rollers then jointedly draw the sheet completelyfrom under the pile, this being able to be effected either all at onceor at intervals if the sheets are arranged in echelons under and behindone another. In this case the compressed air is blownfrom the front ofthe pile, where the -separation of the sheet is started, between thesheet in the act of `being removed and the rest of the pile.

The device according to the present invention is more particularlyintended to render possible with an unrestricted action the introductionof compressed air between the sheet to be removed and the rest of thepile for the purpose of doing away with the pressure of the pile even inthe case of such sheet-removing devices as those in which rotatingfeed-discs of known type are utilized. These feed discs serve ascarriers of the portion of the pile which projects over a xed pile-tableand are provided with a recess through which the sheet of the pilelowermost at the time can pass with its front end, at which itsdetachment from the pile is started with the aid of a sucker or thelike, so that this end of the sheet passes under the feed-discs, inwhichv position it is then withdrawn from under the pile. Immediatelyafter the passage of a sheet-end through the recesses in the feed-discsthe latter run with their tongues, which bound the recesses,

under the rest of the pile again.

'In the sheet-removing devices of this type in View of the absence of aspace closed on all sides by the pile and the feeding means there cannotbe employed currents of compressed air, which are introduced from thesides of the pile in accordance with the United States Patentspecication 1,834,565; on the other hand the action of the compressedair, which is supplied from the front 10 of the pile according to theUnited States Patent specication 1,945,248, is, when feed-discs areemployed, extremely impaired, apart from the difliculty of accommodatingthe means necessary This is to be attributed to the circumstance thatwhen feed-discs are employed the So-called edge of the bend about whichthe lowermost sheet at the time is bent before the commencement of itswithdrawal proper and at which the compressed air penetrates betweenthis sheet and the rest of the pile, is comparatively far from the frontedge of the pile, in front of which the ,blast-nozzles for the supply of the compressed air must be situated. The compressed air must thereforepass along a path from the nozzles to its entrance between the lowermostsheet and the pile, which is so long that for by i'ar the greatest partit blows ineiectively without materially relieving the lowermost sheetfrom the pressure of the pile.

for the same.

Above all, this defect cannot be avoided when '30 compressed air issupplied from the front of the pile in accordance with the United StatesPatent specification 1,945,248 and when feed-discs are employed, ifrectangular sheets are to be removed, in the direction of one of theiredges, from the pile and fed forward or any such sheets at all aspossess a front edge at right angles to the direction of feed. On thecontrary, nozzles may be arranged according to the United States Patentspecification 1,945,248, under some circumstances indeed, when sheetsare fed in the direction of one of their diagonals, for example in thecase of blanks for the manufacture of envelopes, in front of the sideedges running from the tip obliquely backwards and in front of thebearingelements of the feed-discs, which nozzles consequently aresituated nearer to the said edge of the bend, but in this case also theaccommodation of the blast-nozzles as well as of the .air-supply membersconnected to said nozzles and particularly their adjustment, when thereis a change as regards the shape of the sheets, presents diiliculties.Moreover accessibility to the individual parts of the device is rendereddifficult by suc For the purpose of 'doing away with these defects theblast-nozzles, which introduce the compressed air Abetween the lowermostGsheet of the pile in the act of being removed and the pile are 6arranged,v.according to thepresent invention in f the case ofsheet-removing devices tted with feed-discs which are of the kind andwhich act in the manner described, directly in or on the feed-discs, `sothat the blast-air has to flow only 10 a short distance from thenozzle-mouth to its forcible entry into the pile at the edge of thebend, and this holds good for the treatment of sheets of all shapes tobe met with, without a special adjustment for the individual sizes ofthe vari- 15 ous shapes as regardsthe distance of the airsupply membersfrom the edge of the bend of the sheet being necessary. In this mannerthe inf tended action of the compressed air is ensured to the maximumextent attainable even when feeddiscs are employed. The direction offlow of the compressed air is at an angle to the direction in which thesheet is withdrawn, which is smaller than 45 degrees and whichdiminishes` with progressive withdrawal. When the feed discs,

` as is preponderatingly the case, are in pairs, there is advantageouslyemployed in combination with each of them a current of air passing inthe said direction against the pile-support, so that the aircurrentscro'ss and oppose one another in a man- 39 ner which is particularlyfavourable for their action.

The, compressed `air is according to the invention so distributed thatduring the rotation of the feed-discs the stationary surface of thepilesupport within a sector is swept by compressed air, and the angle ofthe sector may at will be so selected that there results in the case ofeach shape of sheet to be operated upon the most favourable effect asregards the relief from the 40 pressure of the pile.

Moreover, means for distributing the compressed air which enable theposition of the entire surface of the sectors swept by the conipressedair likewise to be varied to conform to the most favourable conditionsat the time, are

within the scope of the invention.

The subject-matter of the invention is moreover a device whichfacilitates the individual removal of the sheets from underneaththe pileby -making it dimcult for the next sheet to be pulled away with it.'I'his consists of a suction, device which is built into the pile-tableand which is adjustable to suit the various shapes of sheet, and which,as soon as the sheet which is runningJ 55. has released the extreme edgeof the next sheet, holds the latter fast by suctionally seizing it andso prevents it from being drawn with the'v -70 pressed air can bedirected through the pile-table against vthe under surface of the pile,which current Vcauses the lowermost sheet itself to be lifted off thepiletable during its removal and which is therefore likewise freed fromits friction 'with .'15 said table.

' (Fig. 2): the latter. runs likewise in the side- One embodiment of theinvention is represented by way of example in the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a vertical section through the entire sheet-removing devicein the direction of withdrawal on the line II-II of Fig. 2, the pile ofsheets itself being drawn in side elevation,

Fig. 2 a plan of the device as seen looking in a direction atright-angles to the pair of feed discs A employed,

Fig. 3 a section, parallel to the plane of a feed- '10` disc, throughthe compressed air distributing device,

Fig. 4 a vertical section through a feed-disc and its shaft with thedistributing devices for the compressed air which are arranged thereon15 and also with its bearing-members and driving members, and

Y Fig. 5 is a part sectional plan to an enlarged scale. showing one ofthe rollers 23 Figs. 1 and 2 and the means for mounting the same. 20

' which rotate in opposite directions indicated by the arrows, iseffected from a. suitable part of the 3Q machine by means of a chain 5.'In Fig. 1 there are represented only the driving parts belonging to thefeed-disc I; those belonging to the feeddisc I are identical but howeverthey are specially arranged. The chain 6 so drives the chain 35 wheel 'Ithat the latter makes one complete revolution for each sheet removed. Itis mounted, together with a toothed wheel 8, on the shaft I0, which runsin the side-cheek 5 at the corresponding side of the machineand in abearingn arm 9. 'I'he toothed wheel ldrives the toothed wheel, I2through the intermediate wheel II which runs loosely on a bolt carriedby the sidecheek 5, which toothed wheel I2 is secured together with thebevel-wheel I3 on the shaft Il 45 cheek 5 at the corresponding side ofthe machine and in a lateral arm on the bearing 2'. 'Ihe bevel wheel I3engages with a bevel wheel I5 of the same size which is secured on thefeed-disc shaft m 3. Since, as also is the case with the two bevelwheelsI3 and Ii,.the two'toothed wheels 8 and I2 have the same number ofteeth, the -discs I and I', like the chain-wheel "I, make one completerevolution for each sheet removed. Inthe drawings it is assumed that thepile S consists of blanks, for the manufacture of envelopes, which areto be withdrawn individually from under the pile S in the direction ofthe diagonals connecting the points of their bottom sa flaps and closureflaps. The pile S rests with one part of its surface on the pile-table IE, which is arranged on the transverse rail I'I and a similar rail,which is not illustrated, connecting together the pair of brackets I8.Adjustable pile-stops IIIy 5 ensure the position of the pile S -ofsheets on the pile-table I6. The part of the pile S which projectsbeyond the starting-line of the bent portion I8 of the, pile-tablerests, in the manner which is evident from Fig. 2, on the feed-discs I,I', while the foremost tip of the pile is supported by thetongue 20 in aposition in which it is bent upwards away from vthe feed-discs I, I'.

By means of the co-operative action, which is assumed to be well known,of thefeed-discs I, I' m situated under the feed-discs I, I.

A with the oscillatory sucker 2I, which is arranged.

between them and which seizes the sheet lowermost at the time directlybehind its tip and draws the latter off the supporting tongue 20, thepor.- tion of the lowermost sheet of the pile, which is resting on thefeed-discs I, I' passes in the rst place through the recesses 22, 22' inthe feeddiscs I, I' and under the latter, so that the sheet occupies theposition indicated in Fig. 1 by w. Thus the sheet is bent away from therest of the pile about a line, the so-called edge of the bend, which issituated over lthe transverse rail I1 at that place at which also the.bent portion I6' of the pile-table I6 starts. At this place the cur.

rent of compressed air must penetrate between this sheet and the pile inorder todo away with the pressure exerted by the pile on lche sheetwhich is running olf. It is evident that the compressed air ifintroduced according to the United States Patent specication 1,945,248from the front of the pile up to this position had to traverse anunfavourably long open stretch. It is likewise evident that even theadjustable arrangement of blast-nozzles in front ofthe feed discs alongthe oblique front edges of the pile, which is possible only in the caseof the removal vof the sheet inthe direction of a diagonal in accordancewith the example illustrated, causes difficulties and renders access tothe device dinicult.

When the sheet has reached the position W shown in Fig. 1 its tip whichis still held fast by the sucker 2| is seized by the rollers 23 of apair of feed-fingers, which are mounted on the.

shafts lo for the chain-wheels 1, which'shafts are I0 rotate in thedirection of the arrow so that the rollers 23 light from above on thetip of the sheet at both sides of the sucker 2| and in front of thelatter and strip it from the sucker1 2I.

Each of the two rollers 23 is loosely revoluble on a bolt 24 which canbe turned in such a manner in the part 25, which is xed on the shaft IIl after the manner of a crank, that the, rollers 23 canl be movedradially with regard `to the'shaft I0. A spring which acts on the bolt24` presses the latter and the roller 23, which is xed on it, into anouter limiting position determined 'by a stop. When the rollers 23 leavethe position shown in Fig. 1 and continue to rotate about theshafts IIIthey lay the end of the sheet which has been stripped off from thesucker 2| in the rst'place on the upper bent end I6 of. the pile-tableI5 and then press it against the periphery of a roller 16, which isjournalled in the side cheeks.v

5 perpendicularly under the shafts IIl of the feed-finger rollers 23. Atthe same instant this roller 26, which is driven at intervalsfrom adevice, which is not illustrated-by means of a toothed wheel 21, whichis mounted upon it and an intermediate toothed wheel 28, begins to makea partial revolution at substantially the same peripheral velocity asthat of the feedfinger rollers 23, due to their rotation about the shaftI0, .at the place at which they rest on the sheet. When therefore thefeed-finger rollers 23 have pressed an end of the sheeton thecounterroller 26, the rotation of the rollers 23 about their bolts 24ceases, in consequence oi. the counterroller 26 revolving with them, aslong as said rotation of the roller 26 continues. 'Ihe sheet situatedbetween the rollers 23 and the roller 26 is consequently seizedpositively and is drawn out under .the pile S by the amountcorresponding to the partial rotation of the roller 26. 'I'hen it Theshafts' A pressed air from any source.

comes to rest in the position w (Fig. 1) illustrated in dotted lines,until the end of the sheet following next is laid over it in the samemanner, whichend is then drawn out with it under the pile by 'the sameamount. There arises in this manner from the sheets arranged in.echelons one above and behind another a web of sheets, within which theedges of the individual sheets are a distance apart, measured in thedirection of their motion,l

which corresponds with the amount by which the sheets are drawnfout, atthe time. This so-called echelon-interval may, for example, whenenvelope blanks are being operated upon- Which the workpieces in thedrawings are taken for granted to relieve said sheet from the pressureof the pile.

In the case of the construction illustrated by way of example in thedrawings the arrangement described below serves this purpose. e

The feed-discs I, I carry an air-supply pipe 29 on their under surface,which pipe opens into the free atmosphere at the periphery of the discand-produces the connection with a bore 3I in the feed disc shaft 3which bore is below closed by means of a plate 30 and above does notpass completely through. On the upper end of said shaft a connectingpiece 32 is arranged for the admission of the compressed air and saidconnecting piece is screwed fast on the bearing-member 2 by means of aplate 33. The union 34 of theconnecting piece 32 is connected by meansof a rubber tube 35 with the pipe 36, which is fed with com- The bore ofthe union 34 of the connecting piece 32 terminates at the feed-discshaft 3 in a substantially rectangular y/slot 31. A similar slot 38passes in the radal 'direction from the bore 3I in the feed-disc shaft 3towards its outer surface. Consequently as long as during the rotationofl the feed-disc shaft 3 the slot 38 in the latter is connected withthe slot 31 in the connecting piece 32, the compressed air can pass fromthe supply pipe 36v through the rubber tube 35, the connecting piece 32and the bore A 3| of the feed-disc shaft 3 into the tube 29 fixed lunder each of the feed-discs I, I' in order to iiow out of said tube 29at the periphery of the disc. yIt is evidentparticularly from Figs. 2and 3 that in this manner during the rotation of the feeddiscsA I, I asector can be swept by the compressed air ilowing out of the tube 29,the area rollers 23 and the sucker 2 I are represented in thatA positionwhich they occupy when the withdrawal of the sheet under the pilebegins, the sectors, swept by the compressed air, which result from theslots 31 and 38 being of the width assumed,-

are indicated by means of the small radial arrows;

they are bounded by the radii a: and y which are indicated by dots anddashes.

In order, according to the invention, also to be able to vary theposition of the air-swept sectors to their fullextent, theconnectingpiece 32 is capable of being adjusted on the feed-disc shaft 3 by beingtwisted. `For this purpose the plate 33 for securing it on the bearingmember 2 is v.pro vided with a slot 39 through which its attachment-screw 40 passes. The yielding connecting tube between theconnecting piece 32 andthe airsupply pipe 36 renders possible thisadjustment of the connecting piece 32, which of course even for aconsiderable variation in the. position of the air-swept sectorsrequires to be made only within narrow limits.

Whereas, in this manner, when the position of the slot 3B in thefeed-disc shaft' is fixed once for all relatively to the air-outlet tube29 of the feed-discs I, I', the variation of the position of theair-swept sectors can be eilected by 'adjusting the connecting piece 32,the adjustment of the feed-finger rollers 23 relatively to the feeddiscsI, I' so takes place that in each'case the flowing of the compressed airout of the tubes 29 on the feed-discs starts and stops at those'instants at which also the drawing out from the` pile ofthe sheetlowermost` at the time com- A mences and ends under the joint action ofthe feed-finger rolls 23 and their counter-roller 26.

It will be seen from Figs. 1 and 2 that with the aid of the describedarrangement even in the case of the employment of feed-discs it ispossible to supply the compressed air between the lowermost pile-sheetin the act of being removed and 4 `the rest of the pile, for the purposeof relieving the former from the pressure' of the pile, at such a smalldistance from the edge of the bend situated above the transverse rail IIthat an absolutely certain action can be guaranteed in' the case of allsizes of sheets coming into consideration.

In order to ensure that the sheet of the pile lowermost at the timeshall be withdrawn separately by preventing the next sheet from beingdrawn with it, there is adopted in accordance with the invention thefollowing arrangement:

In slots 44 in the pile-table I6 the hollow members 45 are so arranged`that their upper surface lies in the plane of the table I5. In thesurface of the suction-members 45 there are open the suction-openings 46leading from their interiors, while the union 4'I provided on theirunder surface serves for the connection to the suction pipe.

f .Lateral plates 48 with slots 49 permit the sucair-distributingdevice.

tion-members 45 tobe adjusted, in conformity with the sizes to beoperated on at the time, by correspondingly shifting them in the slots44. They are fixed with the aid of the screws 50. The union 4I'isconnected with a suction pipe, which is not illustrated, by means of thetube 5I, which is represented broken off. The suction air is socontrolled by means of an arrangement, which is of a well known kind andalso is not illustrated, that the suction-action starts as soon as thelowermost sheet of the pile which is running off has sufliciently freedthe openings 46 for the seizing of the edge of the next sheet and thatit ends when the withdrawing movement of the sheet also ends. It isassumed in the drawings that only a single suction-member 45 is employedat the hind point of the pile S of blanks, but several of them may beaccommodated in the slots 44 in the pile-table I6 and be utilized, inwhich case all are able to be connected to a common 'I'he latter is alsoof particular value when operating on rectangular or suchV shapes asthose having hind edges running transversely over the pile-table I6.

When special kinds of paper are being operated upon, for example,pressed or hammered papers, which in consequence of their rough surfaceoffer extraordinary resistance to withdrawal from under a pile, theintroduction of compressed eir between the sheet in the een er beingwunes Ito be removed, so that the latter is situated be 15 tween twolayers of air while being withdrawn from the pile. This additionalarrangement consists of an air-chamber 4I arranged under the pile-tableI6, which air-chamber can be connected by means of the union 42 to acompressed 9 air conduit in case of need. The compressed air suppliedthen passes through the openings 43 in the pile-table I6 under the undersurface of the pile S and in consequence of its sweeping through underthe latter the friction which other- 25 wise occurs between the sheet inthe act of being drawn oif and the pile-table I6, is also done awaywith.

Instead of the arrangements represented in the drawings, as aconstructional example there 30 may naturally be employed other,suitable arrangements for obtaining in accordance with the invention,air-swept sector-surfaces and for varyin the position of these sectors,which arrangem nts likewise are within the scope of the in- 3.5 vention:likewise the fundamental principle of the invention is unaffected,whether the withdrawal vof the sheets from under the pile is effected atintervals a web of sheets arranged in stepped relationship being formed,as is as- 40 sumed in the example illustrated in the drawings, orwhether said withdrawal is effected immediately completely, suitabledevices being employed, what is of vital importance is solely thesimultaneous employment of feed-discs of the kind de- 45 scribed whichare fitted according to the invention with blast-nozzles.

l. Means for removing from a pile of sheets the sheet lowermost at thetime, comprising a ma- 5g chine-frame, a pile-table xed on said frameand, supporting on its hind upper surface a hind portion of the pile,one or more rotary feed-discs arranged with the upper surfacesubstantially in the plane of the upper surface of the pile-table 55 andsupporting on said upper surface a front portion of the pile, means formounting said feeddisc or feed-discs on the machine-frame, means forrotating said feed-disc or feed-discs, means for withdrawing the frontportion of the lower- A() most sheet from the upper surface of thefeeddisc or feed-discs and detaching said portion from the rest of thepile, means on the feeddisc or feed-discs for conducting a current ofcompressed air between said lowermost sheet, 05 when the front portiono'f the same is withdrawn from the feed-disc or feed-discs, and the restof the pile and means for removing the lowermost sheet from theluppersurface of the pile-table and from under the rest of the pile. 70

2. Means for removing-from a pile of sheets the sheet lowermost at thetime, comprising a machine-frame, a pile-table fixed on said frame andsupporting on its hind upper surface a hind portion of the pile, one ormore rotary feed-dises 15 arranged with the upper surface substantiallyin the plane of the upper surface of the pile-table and supporting onsaid upper surface va front portion of the pile, means for mounting saidfeeddisc or feed-discs on the machine-frame, means for rotating saidfeed-disc or feed-discs, means for withdrawing the front portion of thelowermost sheet from the upper surface of the feeddisc or feed-discs.and detaching said portion from the rest of the pile, a blast-pipe oneach feed-disc for conducting a current of compressed air between saidlowermost sheet, when the front portion of the same is withdrawn fromthefeeddisc or feed-discs, and the. rest of the pile, means forconducting compressed air to each blast-pipe and means for removing thelowermost sheet from the upper surface of the pile-table and from underthe rest of the pile.

3. Means for removing from a pile of sheets the sheet lowermost at thetime, comprising a machine-frame, a. pile-table xed on said frame andsupporting on its hind upper surface a hind portion of the pile, one ormore rotary feed-discs arranged with the upper surface substantially inthe plane of the upper surface of the pile-table and supporting on saidupper surface a front portion of the pile, means for mounting saidfeeddisc or feed-discs on the machine-frame, means for rotating saidfeed-disc or feed-discs means for withdrawing the front portion of the'lowermost sheet from the upper surface of the feeddisc or feed-discs anddetaching said portion from the rest of the pile, a blast-pipe on eachfeeddisc for conducting a current of compressed air between saidlowermost sheet, when the front portion of the same is withdrawn fromthe feeddisc or feed-discs, 4and the rest of the pile, means forconducting compressed air to each blast-pipe only whilevthe-blast-pipeis rotating through a part ofeach revolution and means for removing thelowermost sheet from the upper surface of the pile-table and from underthe rest of the pile;

4. Means for removing from a pile of sheets the sheet lowermost at thetime, comprising a machine-frame, a pile-table fixed on said frame andsupporting on its hind upper surface a hind feed-disc or feed-discs onthe machine-frame,"-

means for rotating said feed-disc or feed-discs, means for withdrawing,the front portion of the lowermost` sheetfrom the upper surface of thefeed-disc or feed-discs and detaching said portion from the rest of thepile, a blast-pipe on each feed-disc for conducting a currentOfcompressed air between said lowermost sheet, when the front portion ofthe same is withdrawn from the feed-disc or feed-discs, and the rest ofthe pile, means for conducting compressed air to each blast-pipe onlywhile the blast-pipe is rotating through a part of each revolution, saidair-conducting means comprising, an axial tubular perpendicular shaftfixed on "each disc and having an outlet to the blast-pipe on the discand having an inlet, a compressed-air supply pipe on the machine-frameand a tubular connection between said pipe and said tubular shaft, saidconnection having an outlet intermittently registrable with saidshaft-inlet and means for removing the lowermost sheet from the uppersurface of the pile-table and from under the rest of the pile.

5. Means for removing from a pile of sheets the sheet lowermost at thetime, comprising a machine-frame, a pile-table fixed on said frame andsupporting on its hind upper surface a hind portion of the pile, one ormore rotary feed-discs arranged with the upper surface substantially inthe plane of the upper surface of the pile-table and supporting on saidupper surface a front portion of the pile, means for mounting saidfeed-disc or feed-discs on the machine-frame, means for rotating saidfeed-disc or feed-discs, means for withdrawing the front portion of thelowermost sheet from the upper surface of the feed-disc cr feed-discsand detaching said portion from the rest of the pile, a, blast-pipe oneach feed-disc for conducting a current of compressed air between saidlowermost sheet, when the front portion of the same is withdrawn fromthe feeddisc or feed-discs, and the rest of the pile, means forconducting compressed air to each blast-pipe only while the blast-pipeis rotating through a part of each revolution, said air-conducting meanscomprising an axial tubular perpendicular shaft fixed on each disc andhaving an outlet to the blast-pipe on the disc and having an inlet, acompressed-air supply pipe on the machineframe and an adjustable tubularconnection between said pipe and said tubular shaft, said connectionhaving an outlet intermittently registrable with said shaft-inlet andmeans for removing the lowermost sheet from the upper surface of thepile-table and from under the rest of the pile. y

6. Means for removing from a. pile of sheets the sheet lowermost at thetime, comprising a machine-frame, a pile-table fixed on said frame andsupporting on its hind upper surface a hind portion of the pile, one ormore rotary feed-discs arranged with the upper surface substantially inthe plane of the upper surface of the pile-table and supporting on saidupper surface a front portion of the pile, means for mounting saidfeed-disc or feed-discs on the machine-frame, means for rotating saidfeed-disc' or feed-discs, means for withdrawing the front portion of thelowermost sheet from the upper surface of the feed-disc or feed-discsand detaching said portion from the rest of the pile, a blast-pipe oneach feed-disc for conducting a current of compressed air between saidlowermost sheet, when the front portion of the same is withdrawn fromthe feed-disc or feed-discs, and the rest of the pile, means forconducting compressed air to each blast-pipe only while the blast-pipeis rotating through a part of each revolution said air-conducting meanscomprising an axial tubular perpendicular shaft fixed on each disc and.

4having an outlet to the blast-pipe on the disc and having an inlet, acompressed-air supply pipe on the machine-frame and a exibly adjustabletubular connection between said pipe and said tubular shaft, saidconnection having an outlet intermittently registrable with saidshaft-inlet and means for removing the lowermost sheet from the uppersurface of the pile-table and from under the rest of the pile.

7. Means for removing from a pile of sheets/ said feed-disc orfeed-discs on the machineframe, means for rotating said feed-disc orfeeddiscs, means for withdrawing the front portion of the lowermostsheetI from the upper surface of the feed-disc or feed-discs anddetaching said portion from the rest of the pile, means on the feed-discor feed-discs for conducting a current of compressed air between saidlowermost sheet,

when the front portion of the same is withdrawn from the feed-disc orfeed-discs, and the rest of the pile and means for removing "thelowermost sheet from the upper surface of the pile-table and fromunderlthe rest of the pile and suctional means under the part of thepile-table under the hind edge of the pile for suctionally holding thehind edge of the sheet next above the lowermost sheet while the latteris being removed.

8. Means for removing from a pile of sheets the sheet lowermost at thetime, comprising a machine-frame, a pile-table fixed on said frame andsupporting on its hind upper surface a hind portion of the pile andhaving a plurality of compressed air openings in its hind portion, oneor more rotary feed-discs arranged with the upper surface substantiallyin the plane in the lupper surface of thepile-table and supporting onsaid upper surface ar front portionof the pile, means for mounting saidfeed-disc or'feed-discs on the machine-frame, means for rotating 'saidfeeddisc or feed-discs, meansfor withdrawing the front portion ofi thelowermostsheetv from. the upper surface of the feed-disc or feed-discsand detaching said portion from the rest of the pile, means -on thefeed-disc or feed-discs for conducting a current of compressed airbetween said for conducting a current of compressed air through thecompressed air openings in the hind portion of the pile table.

ALFRED WINKLER.' MAX DNNEBIER..

